agdz59

Rules I read about a bat hitting a ball reference a 'batted ball'. This is not that unless the missed third strike is also considered a 'batted ball' since the batter has become a runner. I will also wait for a rule to be quoted but at this point I'd say it's baseball unless the batter intentionally threw the bat at the ball.

In my limited experience in lower levels only, I call location so catcher can relay it to coach when asked and I don't have to get involved.

If what you say is correct, that contradicts the "no play at 1st because the RLI killed the ball before there was a play." IE: delay or immediate dead ball? NFHS has this as an immediate dead ball - the play at first never happened. I don't think OBR is different here is it? Don't have the rule book handy.

"That is not a good call"? Looked right to me.

Since the ball was put in play its a delayed dead ball isn't it? I assume PU waited to see what would happen.

I've always interpreted this to mean the batter is out if he is touched by the ball and he is between two infielders with a legitimate play on the ball. Hard to be the case in the OP scenario - that would be one extreme shift!

Thank you Nowheresville. Lots of good feedback to think about.

Newbie question: 911 or always have the local dispatch in speed-dial?

Thanks for the insights TMIB. Here's the thing about your question - these teams are at these tournaments nearly every month. I've noticed they EXPECT that outside strike just like the other umps were telling me. I came in calling the chalk but I expanded it out over the 9 games behind the plate. That's what mystified me about the immediate BS I was getting. Is it too tin foil to think I was being hazed? Two team in the final game in the losers bracket blowing off steam on the newbie? I don't know.

Again, sorry I gave the wrong impression. Have no idea what you're talking about on the 'adjudication'. My story about minors LL 5 run rule? I wasn't trying to adjudicate anything. Just sharing. If I broke some etiquette I apologize. If I'm supposed to STFU, I don't get it.

Grayhawk - thank you, that's the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I left the wrong impression above. There is no stated rule, just a rule of thumb among the other umpires as they were helping me out both this tournament and the one before. I noticed that not calling those strikes got looks in other games and calling them strikes never got a peep - until this last game when all hell broke loose. Had me scratching my head.

Hi all, First off - So glad I found this site! Last month was my first travel ball tournament at the local municipal fields after a couple of years of LL. From that tournament I asked a question here about unruly fans. Last weekend was another tourney at the same venue and the last game of the weekend is with this same team. They were home team and I was behind the plate this time. The visitors were a team from the same city that I just had a game with and there were no problems in that game at all. In fact, I am familiar with two of their assistant coaches who were coaches of a LL team I umped for several times this season. These are 10Us and the rule around here is give them an extra ball into the other box for a wide strike. It was my 3rd game behind the plate that hot day and calling that strike was not a problem until this game. The first strike I call out there gets an "OH MY GOD!" from the visitors dugout. The home pitcher keeps working that pitch but misses as much as he gets. Every 'ball!' gets a grumble from the home team but I can ignore it. Bottom of the first and the first strike I call there gets an "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I'M WITH THE OTHER TEAM AND I CAN SEE THAT'S BAD BLUE!". No problem, I can ignore that. But this starts the VT pitcher getting demonstrative about ball calls. Top of the second and now the home team pitcher is acting out on balls called on the outside. Every miss gets a look in to the coaches, a walk around the mound with shaking his head or a stomp of the foot, etc. The crowd picks it up and I'm hearing a constant stream of stuff but nothing personal. Bottom of the second, and more of the same but more vocal from the visitors bench. Players in the dugout mimicing their coach's "Where's that?", "OMG!", etc. I'm getting tired of pitchers delaying the game and demonstrating so I call time, approach the visiting bench and tell them I've had enough and this is there warning. Control their players and their fans. I look at the home coach in the 3rd base coach's box and tell him the warning goes for his team as well. In the top of the third the home team quiets down but there is one pitch where the pitcher motions the catcher to the outside box leaving me exposed in the slot. He then throws a high inside fastball headed straight for me. If the catcher hadn't reacted and tipped the ball away, I would have stopped the game right there. As it was I stared in at the home coach for a while and played on. In the bottom of the third the visiting pitcher is demonstrating. The coach switches him for another and I hear "It's OK, he's against us" as he's bringing in the new pitcher. New pitcher starts demonstrating on balls right away egged on by the crowd. I start called "BALL!" loudly when ever they miss. Finally the 3rd base coach says "Jesus Christ, give us the same pitches!". That's when I call time and toss that coach. First ejection after maybe 3 years and 50-60 games. The rest of the game goes quietly. Ironic that the team that gave me sh*t the last tourney and started the crap this game, got the other team involved and it was them that got ejected. So it goes.

What SJA said. I assume the BR has to touch first for the award to count.

I had an interesting twist on this in a local LL minors game. There is a local rule of a 5-run limit for any inning. A team had 1 out, bases loaded and 4 runs in. I called a walk and one of the base coaches said "5 runs, let's go!" as the runner from third came in to touch home and the defense all headed to the dugout. However, the BR never touched first and entered the dugout. I called him out and was telling the scorekeeper to credit only 4 runs that half-inning. The offense's coach once he realized what I was saying said "but that's only two outs, we're still up to bat right?" . Not having seen if the other two runners touched (I was the only ump this night) I thought that was reasonable, put the runners back with two outs and played on. Did I make the right call?

Hi all, New to the forum. Been umping LL several years and just got into travel ball youth tournaments that run by NFHS rules. First tournament Was over Memorial Day weekend and I had one game as base umpire where 2 parents / fans of one team began riding me about not calling balks. It got personal quickly and my general response was no response. When I got home, I looked up NFHS rules and the Rule 3 section on Conduct talks about players, coaches and other bench personnel but not fans. There is one item about coaches inciting fan objections but not fans themselves. This weekend is the next tournament with this team being on the roster and I want to deal with it directly and appropriately. I will talk to the TD before the game about how to handle it. But before then, I'd like to hear from you experienced hands on how you deal with the fans when they directly and repeatedly challenge / malign you. "you suck" and "send me to the parking lot, I don't care." were a couple.